An IHOP Waiter Helped a Disabled Customer, and Got a Job Offer to Be a Nurse

/ 104.3 The Party

March 31, 2017 01:31 pm

A 43-year-old waiter named Joe Thomas has worked at an IHOP in Springfield, Illinois for the past 11 years. And a photo of him helping out a customer went viral this week.

There’s an older woman with Huntington’s disease who comes in with her husband about once a week. It’s a genetic disorder that destroys nerve cells in your brain. There’s no cure, and one of the symptoms is it messes with your motor functions.

Joe’s waited on them a bunch of times before, and knew she can’t feed herself. Her husband has to help her, and his food usually gets cold.

So a while back, Joe sat down with them and HE started feeding her while her husband ate. And now he does it every time they come in.

He says he just wanted them to be able to enjoy their meal together, and never thought he’d get any praise for it. He used to work at a rehabilitation center. So he has some experience, and didn’t think it was a big deal.

But a customer posted a photo of it on IHOP’s Facebook page last Saturday. Then thousands of people shared it . . . and he ended up getting a job offer to be a NURSE.

It’s not clear if he’s taking the job or not. But he hopes the photo inspires other people to help out whenever they can. (CBS News / People)

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